Ball projecting game



June 13, 1950 2,511,090

H. ZIMMERMAN BALL PROJECTING GAME Filed July 5, 1947 ,9 Q Aw lNVE 0R1HARRY ZIMMERMA wmww ATTORNEY Patented June 13, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE Claims.

My invention relates to that type of games Where rolling balls areprojected on a sloping surface provided with recesses for interceptionof the balls and where the score of the player is determined by theindividual recesses into which the balls fall.

Objects of my invention are to provide a game of the mentioned type withnovel and interesting features, to provide a relatively large number ofball receiving recesses in a relatively small area, and to varygradually the sloping angles leading into these recesses whereby theprobabilities of drops into the individual recesses vary gradually andparticular skill is required in order to make the balls enter thoserecesses that are assigned to higher scores.

Other objects are to attain these results with simple and inexpensivemeans and with a structure that can be easily made and assembled, and toprovide an amusing game of the mentioned type that is not bulky and thatis easily transportable.

More specific objects are to provide the sloping surface over which theballs roll with a cavity having a substantially frusto-conical shapewhereby the inclination of the excavated area varies and is largest atthe upper part of the surface, to provide this cavity with such a sideangle, that each side of this cavity has an inclination, relatively to ahorizontal plane, which slopes toward the center of the cavity wherebygravity tends to move the balls toward this center from all sides, thistendency having an intensity varying around the cavity, to arrange inthe center of the cavity a wall provided with radial or starlikeprojections whereby recesses are formed all around this wall for thereception of balls, to provide other intercepting recesses in theinterior of this wall which has an opening for the passage of balls, andby these means, to provide recesses which can be filled with balls moreor less easily whereby a certain skill is required to bring balls intothose recesses which are co-ordinated to higher scores.

Still other objects and advantages will appear from the followingdescription of an exemplifying embodiment of my invention, from theappended claims and from the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a top view of an exemplifying embodiment of my invention,seen in the direction of the arrow I in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 shows a cross-section of the same embodiment, taken along thebroken line 2--2 in F 1.

Referring to the drawing, numeral 3 indicates a casing having a bottom land four side walls 5, 5, I and 8. The space surrounded by these sidewalls is visible from the upper side and may be covered by a pane 9 ofglass or any other transparent material. A flat spring I I is aflixed tothe outer side of the wall 5, for example, by a rivet I2, and extendsalong this wall beyond a corner of the casing, the projecting part I3 ofthe spring I I forming a handle by which the adjoining part of thespring can be spaced from the wall temporarily. The spring II carries a,projection I4 passing through an opening of the wall 5.

The bottom A has an upper surface I5 forming the ground surface of thecasings inner space. The surface I5 is So tilted that the generalinclination of this surface is toward that side where the wall 5 issituated. This sloping position of this surface may be obtained by anoblique position of the entire bottom or casing. For example, the casing3 may be placed on a table or any other horizontal surface, and may havea support I6 positioned near the wall I whereby this wall is raisedwhile the opposite edge of the casing which is near to the wall 5 restsimmediately on the horizontal surface. Thereby, the bottom and thehorizontal direction include an angle H which measures the generalinclination of the surface I5.

In the shown embodiment, the support It is constituted by a wire hingedto the casing 3 by ends I8 passing through bores of the walls 6 and 8.This wire is so bent that feet I9 are formed which are connected by awire part 2! contacting the lower surface of the bottom 4.

The surface It is provided with a shallow cavity 22 having a circularcircumference and having frusto-conical sides. The angle 23 between thesides of the cavity and the remaining part of the surface I5 issubstantially uniform whereby the inclination of the cavity, that is theangle between these sides and the horizontal direction, varies. Forexample, at the right side of the drawing, this inclination is equal tothe sum of the angles I? and 23 while at the opposite side, theinclination is equal to the difference between these angles. The angle23 is slightly larger than the angle I'i whereby the cavity 22 isinclined relatively to the horizontal in all directions, slopingslightly to the right side at the left side of the cavity and sloping ata higher degree to the left side of the right side of the cavity. At allsides, the cavity slopes toward its center.

A body 24 shaped like a shallow cup is positioned at the center of thecavity 22 and has a circular side wall 25 interrupted by an opening 26.A number of radial projections or teeth 21 extend from the wall 25 likerays of a star and are preferably uniformly distributed over thecircumference of the body 24. The opening 25 is positioned between twoof the projections 21. The remaining spaces between these projectionsform recesses 28, each of which is adapted to receive a ball. Theprobability that a ball will drop into an individual recess 28 dependson the inclination of the respective part of the cavity 22 and issmallest at the left side of the body 24. The recesses 28 situated atthis side indicate higher scores than the other recesses 28. Forexample, a ball dropped into the uttermost left recess may count twohundred and fifty points While each of the two uttermost right siderecesses indicates ten points. The remaining recesses may indicatescores gradually increasing from right to left.

Additional recesses or corners for the interception of balls may bearranged inside of the wall 25. For example, the shown embodimentcomprises three arc-shaped walls '29 stamped out of the material of thebody 24 and pressed into an erect position whereby each of these wallsforms an obstacle adapted to intercept a ball which has passed throughthe opening 26. The walls 29 may indicate particular scores.

Further walls form borders for the run-ways of the balls. A circularwall 3| is positioned around the cavity 22 at a small distancetherefrom. The wall is interrupted by gaps 32 and 33. A wall 34 forms anoblique ramp leading from the gap 32 to a place before the inner surfaceof the spring projection I4. Two parallel walls 35 and 35 lead from thislatter place to the gap 33. The walls 3!, 34, 35 and 36 extendperpendicularly to the surface 15 from this surface to the pane 9.

One or several balls are confined in the space positioned between thesurface 55 and the pane 9 and surrounded laterally by the walls 3|, 34,35 and 36. There may be, for example, six balls. In the shown conditionof the game, a ball 31 is positioned before the spring projection l4. Byoperation of the spring, the ball 31 is propelled or projected to theright side. The projected ball will then pass the gap 33 and will movefurther in a way depending on its speed or on the force applied to thespring. For example, a previously projected ball 38 is shown rolling inthe direction of the arrow 39. Finally any ball projected will eithercome to rest in one of the scoring recesses as. for example, the balls4| and 42 or on a non-scoring spot or will return through the gap 32 tothe position of the balls 43 and 44. These latter balls form a store forfuture operations. As soon as the ball 31 has been projected, the ball43 will take its place and so on until all balls of the store have beenprojected and have come to rest in an intercepting spot. Then, theplayer adds up the scores indicated by the balls.

In order to start the game anew, the casing is so tilted that the ballsleave their resting places and return into the positions proper forprojection or storage.

I desire it understood that my invention is not confined to theparticular embodiment shown and described, the same being merelyillustrative, and that my invention may be carried out in other wayswithout departing from the spirit of my invention as it is obvious thatthe particular embodiment shown and described is only one of the manythat may be employed to attain the objects of my invention.

Having described the nature of my invention, what I claim and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

l. A casing for a ball projecting game comprising a planar groundsurface, means supporting said casing so that said surface is disposedat a predetermined angle of inclination to the horizontal, a circularcavity formed in said surface, said cavity having inclined sidesdisposed at an angle relative to said ground surface greater than saidpredetermined angle of inclination of the latter, a circular body insaid cavity and formed with outwardly opening recesses about the entirecircumference thereof so disposed as to receive a ball on said inclinedsides.

2. A casing for a ball projecting game comprising a planar groundsurface, means supporting said surface at a predetermined angle ofinclination to the horizontal, a cavity formed in said ground surfaceand having inclined side walls communicating said cavity with saidground surface, said side walls being disposed at an angle relative tosaid ground surface greater than said predetermined angle, a body insaid cavity having an upstanding wall formed with an outwardly directedflange extending along the top edge thereof and overlying said inclinedside walls, and a plurality of outwardly opening recesses formed in saidflange, at least one of said recesses facing the lowermost portion ofsaid cavity.

3. A casing for a ball projecting game comprising a planar groundsurface, means supporting said surface at a predetermined angle ofinclination to the horizontal, a circular cavity formed in said surfaceand having inclined side walls communicating said cavity with saidground surface, said side walls being disposed at an angle relative tosaid ground surface greater than said predetermined angle, and acircular body in said cavity and concentric therewith formed withoutwardly opening recesses in the circumference thereof so disposed asto receive a ball on said inclined side walls, at least one of saidrecesses facing in the direction of the lowermost part of said surface.

4. A casing for a ball projecting game comprising a planar groundsurface, means supporting said surface at a predetermined angle ofinclination to the horizontal, a circular cavity formed in said surfaceand having inclined side walls communicating said cavity with saidground surface, said side walls being disposed at an angle relative tosaid ground surface greater than said predetermined angle, a cup-shapedbody disposed in said cavity and having an upstanding wall formed withan opening therethrough and a plurality of radial projectionsdistributed along the entire circumference of said wall and overlyingsaid inclined side walls whereby recesses are formed between saidprojections except where said opening is situated for receiving a ballon said inclined side walls, at least one of said recesses facing thelower part of the circumference of said cavity.

5. A casing for a ball projecting game comprising a planar groundsurface, means supporting said surface at a predetermined angle ofinclination to the horizontal, a circular cavity formed in said surfaceand having inclined side Walls communicating said cavity with saidground surface, said side walls being disposed at an angle relative tosaid ground surface greater than said predetermined angle, a cup-shapedbody having a bottom disposed in said cavity and an upstandingperipheral wall formed with an opening therethrough, radially extendingprojections formed about the circumference of said upstanding wall andoverlying said inclined side walls to provide recesses therebetween forreceiving a ball on said side walls, at least one of said recessesfacing in the direction of the lowermost part of said ground surface,and arc-shaped walls extending from said bottom within said upstandingwall to prov de additional ball receiving recesses.

HARRY ZIMMERMAN.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Davids Jan. 10, 1893 Howell Sept.19, 1893 Oppenheimer Apr. 9, 1907 Kohler May 21, 1907 McEvoy Apr. 14,1908 De Pew Sept. 13, 1932 Atkinson Mar. 19, 1935

